How is everyones Ecotec holding up to the high Ks? How much more life can I expect from my engine?

[Anthony .]

110% but the alloytech uses less fuel while making more power and is smoother.

Cheers. Always wondered whether the Buick/ ecotec had a stronger bottom end than Alloytec. Used to own an alloytec.

 

[Anthony .]

To answer op question, they seem to be a very forgiving engine even not necessarily maintained to a T, or have even skipped a few services.
Checked out a VS a few months back with around 300 km on it and it was running fine. It wasn’t thrashed, but at the same time it wasn’t meticulously serviced either. Had missed a few services and was serviced no less than 15k km intervals.

 

[Drawnnite]

I've heard of Ecos doing 500k and still going.

I currently daily an Eco with 513k on it (original engine)
It's not thrashed, just putts along and has done so since we got it at 196k
We did pull it out and give it a good once over without doing any rotating stuff (Cam/crank not touched)
I think basically we saw that the bores were a little shiny, didnt both checking anything else, as it probably has the perfect low compression for a turbo.

It's mainly just keeping on top of things.
If it leaks or weeps or makes noise. Diagnose it, Fix it and/or replace it.

Is it showing its age, sure.
Does it keep going. Yes

 

[shauncafreeman]

My VX S Pack with Ecotec has 570,000km and still going like a dream, no issues. Always serviced on time and well looked after.

 

[Marky mark79]

Hey guys. I have a vu series 2 v6 ute. Bought it 1 year ago at 280k with no issues. Only thing gone wrong from now and then was a radiator hose and it overheating once on the freeway with the AC on on a 40 degree day (never happened again). Runs smooth as. No knocks or ticks. Just ticked over to 304,000. Was wondering how much more life out of it I can expect with mostly highway driving, services every 10000 and no thrashing. Only mods are muffler delete and growler intake. How are all you guys Ecotecs going at high Ks?

My 01 vx has 406.000 KMs , engine is quite, doesn't burn oil, still has plenty of grunt, had the car for 19 years, all stock serviced when due,

 

[WillyTheMLGPro]

My L67 in my 98 Statesman is a baby compared to some of the folks on here with only 188000km, Minor modifications including smaller supercharger pulley, a cold air intake and a catback exhaust. Full system soon excluding extractors.
I daily drive it normally but I do put my foot down occasionally when it comes up to temp. No thrashing though or redlining.
In the time I've been taking care of the servicing, its had a vacuum leak where it needed new Valley gaskets and supercharger gasket.
I've also put new pulleys, supercharger tensioner and rocker covers.
Nothing that has caused any major faults just minor things that were never done when they were supposed to which I've now taken care of.
She leaks oil here and there but just small weeps. Barely enough to show any loss on the dipstick which I check regularly.

I have no doubt that the engine will just keep going. And Going. And going.

Edit: for servicing, Always on time and usually never more than 2000km between service intervals.
She's being serviced with Penrite HPR-15 and Ryco filters.

 

[RiffRaffMama]

Here's my personal examples of both sides of the coin with a VT and a VX that have both survived 400,000km:

My son's 1999 VT Olympic clocked up 400,000km a few months ago. He had to do the intake manifold gasket a few months ago, other than that, he's done nothing major. I bought the car a few years ago and my son then selected it from our fleet of neglected Commodores for his 16th birthday. It then sat around for 5 years doing nothing until he passed his licence. I have the full history of the car, including every single invoice and receipt from the optional extras order form from when the previous owner ordered it new, through every single regular service and even things like the towbar fitting. I'm talking a one inch thick stack of paper. It's not often you buy a used car that has been so meticulously maintained and that has 100% contributed to its longevity. Because of its devoted previous owner and dedicated maintenance it hasn't had anything major go wrong mechanically. My son has, however, put it through a farm fence and taken out a kangaroo, but it is still getting around as a daily driver on its original engine.

My car (2002 VX Berlina) however... I'll be honest, I have a philosophy: cars aren't meant to last forever and full cover RACV membership is less than $25 a month. I love my cars, but I am very hard on them. I wait until something goes wrong and then I turn up the stereo so the sound stops bothering me, until somebody else says "what's wrong with your car? It shouldn't sound like that." and then depending on the effort to benefit ratio, it will probably get fixed.
I do not have the history on my car and from my experience with purchasing other ex-fleet cars, I strongly suspect this one was a "zero-accountability business car", as in anyone at the workplace who needed to go somewhere drove it, not just one person in particular, so it was treated without much consideration paid to its longevity, because it's hard to prove who caused any problems it developed. These cars are minimally serviced, drive-it-like-you-stole-it, wheelie bins with windows, and yet, somehow, despite a mystery history, almost certain previous abuse and now being owned by me, it's just clocked up 409,000km and doesn't seem to be in imminent danger of catastrophic failure just yet.

 

[Pollushon]

Beautifully agricultural, good cooling, regular oil and maybe a set of lifters I'm not sure what the upper limit could be

I've had over 300k out of the L27 and L36. The L36 copped up to 18 pounds for 60k, ran mid 12's, dead stock, never skipped a beat. Broke a few trannys though

 

[shane_3800]

https://www.motor1.com/news/706127/gm-3800-v6-engine-teardown/

 

[Androo]

Vx on 312K, still going! Replaced: all hoses; coils; leads; starter; alternator; aircon; fuel pump; heater tap twice; second hand diff.
Current problems: one exhaust manifold stud broke off, so exhaust leaks a bit when warm; I think there is a small head gasket leak.